Arin Elen (Morning Star)
Chapter 4:
Shreds of Golden Hope
"They will be here by nightfall"
"How many?"
"Ten thousand strong at least."
King Theoden sat in stunned silence for a few moments.
"Gather up every man. and boy able to bear a sword and shield. Get the women and children into the caves. We go to war."
Aragorn and Gimli looked down at the ground. What little hope Gimli held was gone, and it took every ounce of strength in Aragorn's body to hold on to some tiny microscopic thread of hope and faith that all was not yet lost.
As the King's guards readied themselves to recruit, Eowyn ran into the hall followed by Legolas.
Aragorn ran over to the two and filled them in. Legolas looked down as Gimli and Aragorn had. Eowyn blinked as if not understanding what he said, then shook her head and walked out of the hall to get the women and children into the caves.
Legolas looked up into Aragorn's eyes and nodded, then walked out the door, heading for the wall to keep guard. Gimli followed him.
Rohan was going to war. *****
Eowyn stood at her place by Helm's horn one last time and watched the falling sun. She was going to fight for her people, no matter what they said. Too long had she been forced to stand by and watch while her people fell to Saruman's wrath. She balled her hands in a fist and gritted her teeth. She was ready.
The women and children were safe in the caves and all men were being armed and fit with swords. It made a white-hot rage fill Eowyn as she watched eleven year-old boys being torn from their parents to go to their death.
She turned and ran down the steps to get dressed.
She ran to her chambers and grabbed her heavy leather long sleeved dress. She saved this for when she purposely wanted to look ugly. She took out a strong needle and thread. She flung the dress onto her bed and grabbed scissors, cutting a long slit up the middle and she began to sew.
When the sun was nearly down she had a long flowing leather suit with sloppily done pant legs that still looked like a dress. She grabbed her sword and ran down the hall to get a chain mail suit.
As she ran blindly she ran into someone. The someone grabbed her by the shoulders and then turned her face up.
"Get to the caves milady Eowyn." It was Aragorn.
"Get out of my way, I am going to fight." She pushed him away and made to get past him but he caught her.
"I will not let you go out there and kill yourself."
"And I will not stand by as I so often do and listen helplessly while the men and *children* die. I will fight no matter what you say or do." She once again struggled free and turned to run. This time Aragorn grabbed both of her arms and turned her around. He brought them face to face and gripped her shoulders tight.
"I *will not* allow you to fight. Get into the caves and wait until we come get you. now!"
"Why do you care whether I want to defend my people or not. These are not and never will be your people Aragorn. You are but a stranger who has come to help. Let me go or I will kill you after the battle is over if you survive." At these words he simply tightened his grip to a painful extent and pushed Eowyn backwards slowly. He kept their eyes locked the entire time, and led her down steps and to the door of the cave.
"Get in there and do not come back out until this battle is over."
She spat in his face and he let go of her. She walked backwards acting as if she were walking into the caves. Aragorn relaxed and wiped the saliva from his face.
"I am sick of people telling me, a shield maiden of Rohan, where to go and what to do! I am sick and tired of being held hostage in my own city like an animal in a cage! I will do as I wish!"
Her steely cold eyes raged with a burning fire as she stopped backing up and suddenly shot forward past Aragorn. This time he did not catch her.
As he watched her go, he cried out and hit the door shut, locking and barring it. He stared at it then collapsed against it, pounding and pounding until his fists hurt. What would he do if something happened to Eowyn? If anything did, it would be his fault, but he knew that he could not stop her now.
Then he heard a horn in the dusk. He recognized that horn, it wasn't an orc horn. As it sounded again he stood and ran towards it. The elves were here.
*****
Eowyn ran to the King's chambers where she found a shirt of chain mail. She picked it up and slipped it over her head, getting used to the weight. This one was a bit tight around the chest but she would have to live with it. She walked to a mirror and held up her sword. She knew what she had to do now. just one more thing left.
She held her sword up to her wavy hair right below the shoulders and closed her eyes tight as she tightened and cut piece by piece of her golden wavy hair. As she opened her eyes cautiously, she peered at herself in the mirror and touched her hair. It was done very unevenly, but she could fix it after the battle.
As she stood in front of the mirror with her sword she whispered a poem of Rohan.
"Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing? Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing? Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing? They have passed like rain on the mountain, like wind in the meadow; The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow. Who shall gather the smoke of the dead wood burning? Or behold the flowing years from the Sea returning? How did it come to this?"
She was going to fight for Rohan.
She was going to fight for her people.
She looked at the long strands of golden hair at her feet and bent to pick up a lock. She was going to have to leave the hair here, she had no time to pick it up as the sun had set and in the distance Eowyn could hear soft far away stamping of thousands of orc feet.
She put on a cloak and covered her head with the hood, hoping no one would notice her until it was too late to do anything about her being there.
She gripped her sword firmly and ran up the steps and out onto the wall where no men noticed her presence. She slowly walked to a place nearby Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas and looked around. Strange faces peered ahead from strange armor. Eowyn pondered for a moment and then smiled inwardly. Aragorn got his elves. Rohan finally had hope.
As the orcs drew nearer Eowyn could only make out an endless black line heading towards the fortress. She knew that no one could breach the walls but knew that many elves and men were going to die.
Eowyn looked over at Legolas Gimli and Aragorn. Gimli couldn't see and was jumping up and down. Aragorn smiled the last smile he would probably get for a few long hours. As thunder rumbled overhead rain began to slowly fall onto men's armor. The Uruk-Hai continued to march through the rain, ignoring anything but the people on the wall.
A sudden flash of lightning ripped through the sky and Eowyn gasped as, for a moment, she could see the thousands of Uruk-Hai marching. They suddenly all halted before the wall. Eowyn would wait until they got up the wall to fight. She was terrified and excited at the same time. She gripped her sword tighter as the men and elves drew back their bowstrings.
As they all stood and waited for the command of Aragorn, one lone arrow shot through the night. It hit an Uruk-Hai and he fell to the ground. The stomping stopped and there was an eerie silence. Aragorn yelled something in elvish but it was too late. The Uruk-Hai began a low growl. Like a rumble of thunder it grew louder and louder until one large Uruk-Hai standing on a rock screamed something.
The orcs began to run towards the wall. The first wave of arrows was released and the first rows of orcs fell. Aragorn shouted again and Eowyn jumped slightly as arrows flew over her head and hit another few rows of orcs. The living continued to run over the dead bodies as arrows began shooting randomly now from everywhere.
Through the rows came five lines of orcs carrying ladders to the wall.
"Ladders!" Aragorn screamed and everyone drew their swords.
They all went up one by one and orcs began crawling up them like insects.
Eowyn went to the ladder nearest to her and immediately orcs began surrounding her. Her hood was up so she couldn't see to the side of her. She grabbed her cloak and ripped it off, flinging it away as she slashed at one orc, then another.
Eowyn worked tirelessly, moving with speed and grace, killing orc by orc, second by second. Men around her stared at her, but knew they could do nothing, it mattered not who was fighting now that it had begun.
An orc to her side slashed at her, she ducked and cut its leg off then stood up and slashed its neck. Another two moved up behind her and she twisted, swerving to avoid another blow from one and stuck her sword through its chest and kicked it away. The other slashed at her leg. She had only enough time to lift one leg and didn't jump. The sword slashed through her lower leg and she winced. She kicked the orc hard in the chest then sliced off his sword hand and then his head.
She looked down at her leg wound. It was shallow but still bleeding freely as the rip in her suit became stained with blood. She looked for something to wrap it with and found her cloak about ten feet away; it lay half buried under a dead orc. She ran over to pick it up and as she did she felt the whole world shatter beneath her feet. She flew up and then fell to the ground below, twenty feet. Her body ached but she felt she could get up and run. She gasped in pain and stood to run, but a boulder crashed down on her injured leg. She collapsed again and cried out in pain as her leg was pinned beneath the rock and she lay there, helpless.
No one around her had any time or assistance to spare as a group of three orcs came hovering over the boulder and peered at the fallen Eowyn. She immediately sat up; only her lower leg was pinned. She cried out as she slashed one orcs chest and another leapt at her over the rock. She met it with her sword and the orc collapsed on her. She kicked him off with her free leg and tried to slash at the final orc's leg but he jumped out of the way. As he raised his sword above her and growled at her, Eowyn accepted that this was her death. She put her sword down and looked up, determined to die bravely. Just then someone familiar jumped behind the orc and sliced it's head off.
"Aragorn!"
Aragorn looked down wearily at her and smiled inwardly. She was alive and. she certainly didn't look well. Although she smiled at him and acted unharmed, he could see through the darkness her tears of agony rolling down her face.
"I told you not to fight." He said sadly, more to himself than to her.
"You knew I would." She whispered. Aragorn turned and killed two orcs and then turned back to her.
"Help me." She pleaded. She could feel her shattered leg underneath the large rock and tried to move it but cried out.
"You are in pain Eowyn. I don't like seeing such a lovely face in so much pain." He knelt down next her and wiped her tears away then tried to move the rock. After a few moments in which he pushed and pulled the large stone Eowyn was free.
"Aragorn!" She cried. He turned and faced five large orcs. He slashed two in the abdomen and kicked another away. He ducked then jumped away from two blows and slammed his sword into one's throat. He hit the shield of another and then kicked and punched the fourth. He took out a knife and slashed the staggering orc's face then jammed it into his heart.
He pushed the orc over and grabbed his sword again and smiled almost as he simply stuck the blade behind him and the orc running towards him ran straight into it then fell over backwards.
He picked Eowyn up as they heard shouts of, "To the Keep! Back to the Keep!"
Aragorn turned and yelled up to an elf.
"Haldir!" Eowyn just saw one lone elf stab an orc then turn to look down at Aragorn. Aragorn shouted something in elvish then Haldir nodded and killed one more orc. Eowyn saw his face contort in pain as he looked down at his leg. An orc came up behind him and brought down his steel ax into the elf's back.
"Haldir! No!"
Aragorn put Eowyn down and ran full speed up the wall steps and caught the elf as he fell, lifeless, into Aragorn's arms.
Eowyn watched from the ground as he kissed his hand and put it to the dead elf's chest, the elven salute. She watched as Aragorn got up and killed orc after orc in anger and frustration.
He returned to Eowyn and picked her up, running through the gap in the wall up the steps to the castle and setting her down on the ground.
"I will return when I can." And he ran off to fight. *****
Alrighty end of chapter four. I could've gone on much longer but I have to save some for another chapter.
Thanks to reviewers of chapter three! Keep on reviewing they help a whole lot. If I didn't get any reviews I wouldn't continue to write, so thanks very much.
"They will be here by nightfall"
"How many?"
"Ten thousand strong at least."
King Theoden sat in stunned silence for a few moments.
"Gather up every man. and boy able to bear a sword and shield. Get the women and children into the caves. We go to war."
Aragorn and Gimli looked down at the ground. What little hope Gimli held was gone, and it took every ounce of strength in Aragorn's body to hold on to some tiny microscopic thread of hope and faith that all was not yet lost.
As the King's guards readied themselves to recruit, Eowyn ran into the hall followed by Legolas.
Aragorn ran over to the two and filled them in. Legolas looked down as Gimli and Aragorn had. Eowyn blinked as if not understanding what he said, then shook her head and walked out of the hall to get the women and children into the caves.
Legolas looked up into Aragorn's eyes and nodded, then walked out the door, heading for the wall to keep guard. Gimli followed him.
Rohan was going to war. *****
Eowyn stood at her place by Helm's horn one last time and watched the falling sun. She was going to fight for her people, no matter what they said. Too long had she been forced to stand by and watch while her people fell to Saruman's wrath. She balled her hands in a fist and gritted her teeth. She was ready.
The women and children were safe in the caves and all men were being armed and fit with swords. It made a white-hot rage fill Eowyn as she watched eleven year-old boys being torn from their parents to go to their death.
She turned and ran down the steps to get dressed.
She ran to her chambers and grabbed her heavy leather long sleeved dress. She saved this for when she purposely wanted to look ugly. She took out a strong needle and thread. She flung the dress onto her bed and grabbed scissors, cutting a long slit up the middle and she began to sew.
When the sun was nearly down she had a long flowing leather suit with sloppily done pant legs that still looked like a dress. She grabbed her sword and ran down the hall to get a chain mail suit.
As she ran blindly she ran into someone. The someone grabbed her by the shoulders and then turned her face up.
"Get to the caves milady Eowyn." It was Aragorn.
"Get out of my way, I am going to fight." She pushed him away and made to get past him but he caught her.
"I will not let you go out there and kill yourself."
"And I will not stand by as I so often do and listen helplessly while the men and *children* die. I will fight no matter what you say or do." She once again struggled free and turned to run. This time Aragorn grabbed both of her arms and turned her around. He brought them face to face and gripped her shoulders tight.
"I *will not* allow you to fight. Get into the caves and wait until we come get you. now!"
"Why do you care whether I want to defend my people or not. These are not and never will be your people Aragorn. You are but a stranger who has come to help. Let me go or I will kill you after the battle is over if you survive." At these words he simply tightened his grip to a painful extent and pushed Eowyn backwards slowly. He kept their eyes locked the entire time, and led her down steps and to the door of the cave.
"Get in there and do not come back out until this battle is over."
She spat in his face and he let go of her. She walked backwards acting as if she were walking into the caves. Aragorn relaxed and wiped the saliva from his face.
"I am sick of people telling me, a shield maiden of Rohan, where to go and what to do! I am sick and tired of being held hostage in my own city like an animal in a cage! I will do as I wish!"
Her steely cold eyes raged with a burning fire as she stopped backing up and suddenly shot forward past Aragorn. This time he did not catch her.
As he watched her go, he cried out and hit the door shut, locking and barring it. He stared at it then collapsed against it, pounding and pounding until his fists hurt. What would he do if something happened to Eowyn? If anything did, it would be his fault, but he knew that he could not stop her now.
Then he heard a horn in the dusk. He recognized that horn, it wasn't an orc horn. As it sounded again he stood and ran towards it. The elves were here.
*****
Eowyn ran to the King's chambers where she found a shirt of chain mail. She picked it up and slipped it over her head, getting used to the weight. This one was a bit tight around the chest but she would have to live with it. She walked to a mirror and held up her sword. She knew what she had to do now. just one more thing left.
She held her sword up to her wavy hair right below the shoulders and closed her eyes tight as she tightened and cut piece by piece of her golden wavy hair. As she opened her eyes cautiously, she peered at herself in the mirror and touched her hair. It was done very unevenly, but she could fix it after the battle.
As she stood in front of the mirror with her sword she whispered a poem of Rohan.
"Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing? Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing? Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing? They have passed like rain on the mountain, like wind in the meadow; The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow. Who shall gather the smoke of the dead wood burning? Or behold the flowing years from the Sea returning? How did it come to this?"
She was going to fight for Rohan.
She was going to fight for her people.
She looked at the long strands of golden hair at her feet and bent to pick up a lock. She was going to have to leave the hair here, she had no time to pick it up as the sun had set and in the distance Eowyn could hear soft far away stamping of thousands of orc feet.
She put on a cloak and covered her head with the hood, hoping no one would notice her until it was too late to do anything about her being there.
She gripped her sword firmly and ran up the steps and out onto the wall where no men noticed her presence. She slowly walked to a place nearby Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas and looked around. Strange faces peered ahead from strange armor. Eowyn pondered for a moment and then smiled inwardly. Aragorn got his elves. Rohan finally had hope.
As the orcs drew nearer Eowyn could only make out an endless black line heading towards the fortress. She knew that no one could breach the walls but knew that many elves and men were going to die.
Eowyn looked over at Legolas Gimli and Aragorn. Gimli couldn't see and was jumping up and down. Aragorn smiled the last smile he would probably get for a few long hours. As thunder rumbled overhead rain began to slowly fall onto men's armor. The Uruk-Hai continued to march through the rain, ignoring anything but the people on the wall.
A sudden flash of lightning ripped through the sky and Eowyn gasped as, for a moment, she could see the thousands of Uruk-Hai marching. They suddenly all halted before the wall. Eowyn would wait until they got up the wall to fight. She was terrified and excited at the same time. She gripped her sword tighter as the men and elves drew back their bowstrings.
As they all stood and waited for the command of Aragorn, one lone arrow shot through the night. It hit an Uruk-Hai and he fell to the ground. The stomping stopped and there was an eerie silence. Aragorn yelled something in elvish but it was too late. The Uruk-Hai began a low growl. Like a rumble of thunder it grew louder and louder until one large Uruk-Hai standing on a rock screamed something.
The orcs began to run towards the wall. The first wave of arrows was released and the first rows of orcs fell. Aragorn shouted again and Eowyn jumped slightly as arrows flew over her head and hit another few rows of orcs. The living continued to run over the dead bodies as arrows began shooting randomly now from everywhere.
Through the rows came five lines of orcs carrying ladders to the wall.
"Ladders!" Aragorn screamed and everyone drew their swords.
They all went up one by one and orcs began crawling up them like insects.
Eowyn went to the ladder nearest to her and immediately orcs began surrounding her. Her hood was up so she couldn't see to the side of her. She grabbed her cloak and ripped it off, flinging it away as she slashed at one orc, then another.
Eowyn worked tirelessly, moving with speed and grace, killing orc by orc, second by second. Men around her stared at her, but knew they could do nothing, it mattered not who was fighting now that it had begun.
An orc to her side slashed at her, she ducked and cut its leg off then stood up and slashed its neck. Another two moved up behind her and she twisted, swerving to avoid another blow from one and stuck her sword through its chest and kicked it away. The other slashed at her leg. She had only enough time to lift one leg and didn't jump. The sword slashed through her lower leg and she winced. She kicked the orc hard in the chest then sliced off his sword hand and then his head.
She looked down at her leg wound. It was shallow but still bleeding freely as the rip in her suit became stained with blood. She looked for something to wrap it with and found her cloak about ten feet away; it lay half buried under a dead orc. She ran over to pick it up and as she did she felt the whole world shatter beneath her feet. She flew up and then fell to the ground below, twenty feet. Her body ached but she felt she could get up and run. She gasped in pain and stood to run, but a boulder crashed down on her injured leg. She collapsed again and cried out in pain as her leg was pinned beneath the rock and she lay there, helpless.
No one around her had any time or assistance to spare as a group of three orcs came hovering over the boulder and peered at the fallen Eowyn. She immediately sat up; only her lower leg was pinned. She cried out as she slashed one orcs chest and another leapt at her over the rock. She met it with her sword and the orc collapsed on her. She kicked him off with her free leg and tried to slash at the final orc's leg but he jumped out of the way. As he raised his sword above her and growled at her, Eowyn accepted that this was her death. She put her sword down and looked up, determined to die bravely. Just then someone familiar jumped behind the orc and sliced it's head off.
"Aragorn!"
Aragorn looked down wearily at her and smiled inwardly. She was alive and. she certainly didn't look well. Although she smiled at him and acted unharmed, he could see through the darkness her tears of agony rolling down her face.
"I told you not to fight." He said sadly, more to himself than to her.
"You knew I would." She whispered. Aragorn turned and killed two orcs and then turned back to her.
"Help me." She pleaded. She could feel her shattered leg underneath the large rock and tried to move it but cried out.
"You are in pain Eowyn. I don't like seeing such a lovely face in so much pain." He knelt down next her and wiped her tears away then tried to move the rock. After a few moments in which he pushed and pulled the large stone Eowyn was free.
"Aragorn!" She cried. He turned and faced five large orcs. He slashed two in the abdomen and kicked another away. He ducked then jumped away from two blows and slammed his sword into one's throat. He hit the shield of another and then kicked and punched the fourth. He took out a knife and slashed the staggering orc's face then jammed it into his heart.
He pushed the orc over and grabbed his sword again and smiled almost as he simply stuck the blade behind him and the orc running towards him ran straight into it then fell over backwards.
He picked Eowyn up as they heard shouts of, "To the Keep! Back to the Keep!"
Aragorn turned and yelled up to an elf.
"Haldir!" Eowyn just saw one lone elf stab an orc then turn to look down at Aragorn. Aragorn shouted something in elvish then Haldir nodded and killed one more orc. Eowyn saw his face contort in pain as he looked down at his leg. An orc came up behind him and brought down his steel ax into the elf's back.
"Haldir! No!"
Aragorn put Eowyn down and ran full speed up the wall steps and caught the elf as he fell, lifeless, into Aragorn's arms.
Eowyn watched from the ground as he kissed his hand and put it to the dead elf's chest, the elven salute. She watched as Aragorn got up and killed orc after orc in anger and frustration.
He returned to Eowyn and picked her up, running through the gap in the wall up the steps to the castle and setting her down on the ground.
"I will return when I can." And he ran off to fight. *****
Alrighty end of chapter four. I could've gone on much longer but I have to save some for another chapter.
Thanks to reviewers of chapter three! Keep on reviewing they help a whole lot. If I didn't get any reviews I wouldn't continue to write, so thanks very much.